Q&A: Kevin Costner on unveiling his Western saga ‘Horizon’ at Cannes

CANNES, France — A month earlier than Kevin Costner places the primary installment of his multi-chapter Western “Horizon: An American Saga” into theaters, the actor-director got here to the Cannes Movie Competition to unveil his self-financed ardour undertaking.

“Two of my boys are out fishing proper now,” Costner mentioned with a smile in an interview on the Carlton Lodge. “And the three ladies discovered their means onto a ship. So dad’s in right here, stumping for his film.”

The film is definitely two, or if Costner has his means, 4. “Horizon: Chapter One,” which runs three hours, will likely be launched by Warner Bros. in theaters June 28. “Chapter Two” follows August 16. Costner has scripts prepared for elements three and 4.

It is solely the fourth time Costner, 69, has directed, following 1990’s “Dances With Wolves,” 1997’s “The Postman” and 2003’s “Open Vary.” However when he has, Costner has normally accomplished it with a clear-eyed ardour for storytelling and character. That is on show within the wide-ranging epic “Horizon,” with a forged together with Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, Sam Worthington and Costner.

It is also Costner’s largest gamble, ever. To boost the cash for the $100 million-plus manufacturing, he mortgaged his seaside Santa Barbara, California, property. He is been making an attempt to make “Horizon” for greater than 30 years.

“I thank God for Cannes. I’m an impartial filmmaker, primarily, and I’m right here on my own,” mentioned Costner, whose movie was to premiere Sunday. “So it is a excessive second for me as a result of it’s serving to me create consciousness for a film. I don’t have all the cash on the earth to reveal this film. However I’ve my time and a platform right here.”

Remarks have been calmly edited for brevity.

COSTNER: You possibly can spend your life simply making an attempt to make your pile develop greater and greater. And I’ve not been actually terribly nice at that. I’m like anybody else, I’d prefer it to be large. However not on the expense of not doing what I really feel like I’ve like to do. If nobody will assist me do it and I consider strongly in its leisure worth — there’s commerce on my thoughts. However I don’t let it overshadow the leisure worth and essence of what I’m making an attempt to painting. I don’t attempt to let the concern of that management my instincts on any degree. I don’t wish to dwell that means. If I used to be watching a film about me and I assumed, “Oo, don’t danger your cash and make one thing like that,” what a (expletive).

COSTNER: No, it wasn’t a simple resolution, but it surely was the choice I wanted to make. It’s like, wow, why am I having to do that? I feel I’m making mainstream leisure. I don’t know what you felt concerning the film however I felt prefer it’s actually mainstream. I don’t really feel that I’m an avant-garde kind of an individual. However but I feel my issues are a bit off. I’m prepared to (in a wagon path scene within the movie) see a girl bathe as a result of her want to be clear was so pronounced. When you’re a girl, who wouldn’t wish to be? However then within the subsequent second, you notice it’s in opposition to the rule, man. You possibly can value your self your life. In order that scene turned essential to make the subsequent scene essential. To me, a scene like that’s simply as essential as a gun combat. And if that sort of scene doesn’t wish to exist in a mainstream film…

COSTNER: I suppose. It will likely be. They’re going to interrupt this up into 100 items, you already know what I imply? After 4 of those, they’re going to have 13, 14 hours of movie they usually’re going to show into 25 hours of TV, they usually’re going to do no matter they’re going to do. That’s simply the way in which we dwell in our life however they’ll additionally exist on this type. And that was essential for me, to be sure that occurred. And I used to be the one who paid for it.

COSTNER: The studio wished to strive that. I knew this was going to return out fairy rapidly, like each 4 or 5 months. Which will have been simpler. However that is one thing they really feel like folks can keep in mind the primary one and it will possibly tie into the second. I constructed into all of them a montage of what’s coming.

COSTNER: I like seeing habits in males that is sensible. I make motion pictures for males. I simply make sure that there’s nice girls characters as a result of that’s actually essential to me. The spine of our film is definitely girls. I don’t like boys behaving silly. I just like the little boy who (fleeing an assault) takes the 2 horses and successfully saves his life. I like seeing folks behave actually in determined conditions. The heroism of a bit boy saying “I’ll stick with you, Dad” is a very highly effective second. That’s my son (Hayes Costner) and it was very laborious to look at.

COSTNER: Confusion about it. The colonel says, “If we salt the earth with sufficient of their useless, the wagons gained’t come anymore.” While you’re that far on the market, you possibly can’t go. When folks mentioned goodbye within the East Coast, they didn’t come again. So the confusion for the Native American was they couldn’t make sense of that. Usually in case you kill sufficient folks they gained’t hassle you. However these Individuals, these folks had been getting flyers saying you might have this land. There are salesmen in each century, each decade promoting one thing they don’t actually know what it’s. It’s simply America. It’s simply this large experiment of hope.

COSTNER: Once they weren’t helpful, they had been simply forged away. And so they needed to create a way of group they usually got here en masse. They got here collectively they usually had been very industrious. They’ll be the wealthiest folks in that city till there’s a tipping level and racism kicks in and instantly they’re gone, too. You watch. That’s what would occur in actual life.

COSTNER: There’s inevitable tragedy to it. And there’s divisions. You see a complete tribe break in half. You see a father break from a son.

COSTNER: I’ve shot three days and I proceed to need to press for cash to complete this. I’ve to determine what else I can do to make this. However I’m not ready to see how folks really feel. I do know what that is, and I feel if folks love the film expertise, they’ve a very good probability of eager to see the subsequent one. That’s all I can consider. The prudent factor could be to attend, however I suppose I’m not constructed for that wait.

COSTNER: “Yellowstone” was actually essential in my life. I actually cherished that world and what we had been in a position to do in 5 seasons. I solely thought it might be one, however did 5. I used to be prepared to do three extra – 5, six and 7 – but it surely simply didn’t occur. Sure issues had been happening and it simply didn’t occur. So the concept of going again, I’m open to that concept. Nevertheless it’s based mostly on every part that first three or 4 had been based mostly on, which is the scripts.